BUILDERS UNITED OVER DISPUTE AT AUCKLAND

Grey River Argus, 24 February 1949, Page 2

BUILDERS UNITED OVER DISPUTE AT AUCKLAND

Men Register for Work and Unemployment Benefits MASS MEETING HELD WELLINGTON, Feb. 23 A unanimous decision to stand whole-iiea± techy bemnu tne Auckland master udUiviS 111 "ineir stand in upholding the principle of arbitration," was reacneo at a meeting cast night of tne Wellington Master guilders' Association.

AUCKLAND, Feb. 23

Seven hundred dismissed carpenters enrolled lor unemployment benefits at the office of the Social Security department, wnile 200 yesterday registered at the Labour Department office ior employment. There was a mass meeting 111 the Town Hail of the carpenters, of whom seven hundred afterwards marched through yueen street and up to Albert Lark in the morning. They then packed into the Social Security Department’s office in High Street to enrol for unemployment benefits.

Later, some of them went to the Labour and Employment Department’s office in Queen Street to register for direction to jobs. Some were given work. Others were sent as unskilled labourers to firms, who refused to engage them. At the mass meeting 1200 attended. Mr R. Stanley, New Zealand secretary, recalled the history of the dispute. Several resolutions were passed, but there was no sign of a move to withdraw the go-slow policy which led to the carpenters’ dismissal. The meeting approved of the holding of a meeting of unionists’ wives this morning, also a proposal to hold a mass stop-work meeting of unionists connected with the building trade . in Carlaw Park on Wednesday morning of next week. After some of the carpenters had departed, 700 formed a procession, with a large canvas sign at their head, and many of the rank and tile were armed with placards, drawing attention to the union’s grievances. The parade went to Albert Park, where the men engaged in community singing, while their leaders visited the Social Security Departments office and discussed the question oi unemployment benefits for the men with the registrar (Mr H. M. Chambers). . , J About fifteen minutes later, the leaders arrived at the park, and Mr omniev said 'hat the union officials intended to communicate with the Minister of Social Security (Mr W. E Parry) and the Federation of Labour immediately, and . demand that the men should be paid unemployment benefits. He asked the carpentors to go to the Social Security Department’s office and register, and then «.to go to the Labour oliice to comply with requirements.

SOCIAL SECURITY Extra staff was taken from other sections to cope with the unprecedented rush at the unemployment oenefits counter in the Social Security Department’s office. The men swarmed into the building after they left the park, and packed the stairs to tiie third floor. Policemen acted as ushers, and kept the crowd in orderly lines on the stairways. ihere was oarely standing space in the small room, where eight men and women handed out and collected registration forms, as the men milled round the counter. The rooin was busier than a city bar at a rush hour. , zioout half an hour after it began, the rush was over, as many of the men decided to take their forms away and retuin them later, rather than wait. CARPENTERS GIVEN OTHER WORK The invasion of the Social Security Depatrment’s oliice was repeated on a smaller scale at the Labour office in Civic House. Men began to arrive in soon, after mid-day, and a specially uiganised staff was ready to cope with them. The men were marshalled on the stairway and the first floor, where they registered for unemployment. All were posted to unskilled workers’ jobs in a variety of industries The largest number were sent to the Westfield freezing works. CarpenLers continued to arrive at the Labour office throughout the afternoon, and by the end of the day more than 200 had registered. Many, however, had come back a second' time. They said they had been refused work by the employers to whom they were sent. Those who returned early in the afternoon were sent to other jobs, but those who went back later were not. it was not Known to-day how many carpenters had been given employm i\lr Stanley left Auckland to address a meeting of the Wellington branch of the Carpenters’ Union tonight.